Chef and co-owner Isabel Dacosta checks on the day’s special of roasted ribs with vegetables.

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Mimo

We often overlook hidden gems waiting for us right outside the downtown core. International Avenue in the southeast is no exception. Featuring a treasure trove of awesome international cuisine, I’m on a mission to find the best the avenue has to offer.

This week, my quest takes me to Portugal, or, rather, the cuisine of Portugal. Mimo, a Portuguese family restaurant located on 17th Avenue S.E., boasts a great selection of seafood and traditional Portuguese fare.

Arriving at 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday, my friends and I walk into an empty restaurant. Usually I’m a little freaked out by this, but my mind is put at ease when our server warmly greets us and gives us the lowdown on Portuguese cuisine, and Mimo’s commitment to fresh dishes — nothing is prepared until you order it.

We start with an order of appetizers that includes homemade sausage ($10.25) and snails marinated in white wine sauce ($10.95). Served in a tomato-based white wine sauce, the snails have some heat. When I ask our server about the spice, she says it’s a secret family blend. We don’t pry. Instead we sop up every morsel with the basket of French bread provided.

What comes next is a lovely surprise. Arriving in a shallow terra cotta baking dish (complete with grill) is a large sausage, before setting it down our server takes a lighter and ignites the base of the dish. Voila! Flaming sausage! She says that if you prefer your sausage crisp, let the flame burn until it extinguishes on its own. We do just that.

The end result is a delectably crisp and spicy sausage. Made from pork and marinated a week before serving, it’s one of the tastiest (and entertaining) links I’ve ever had. It goes well with the dry red house wine (half-litre $16.95).

Ordering our mains, we can’t resist the paella ($49.95 for two). Slightly different than a Spanish paella, the Portuguese version features only green peppers for vegetables and doesn’t incorporate pork. What this dish does include is a whopping amount of fresh seafood (two lobster tails, crab legs, squid, clams, mussels), beef, chicken wings and tasty, spicy rice. Note: If you start with appetizers, this paella can easily feed three to four people, it’s that hearty.

Sampling another entree, we get the beef medallions in Madeira wine sauce ($15.95). The medallions are more like cuts of skirt or flank steak, but they are oh-so-good. Served in the stunning Madeira sauce, we savour every bite. On the side, the dish features a salad (which is sadly ignored) and Loonie-shaped homemade fries, like mom used to make. Wow.

The Mimo space doesn’t feel much different than the myriad Mediterranean family restaurants I’ve visited over the years. Painted in grey tones and featuring teal accents, the room is crowned with an impressive mural depicting a Portuguese grape harvest.

What makes the Mimo experience unique is the friendly family service (owned and operated by the Da Costa family for 25 years). Diners are encouraged to share dishes in a family style that doesn’t feel contrived. The fantastic food further complements this Portuguese tradition.